Instagram is expanding its ambitions beyond short-form video as it explores new content formats for its TV app, including long-form creator videos, episodic series, and live programming designed for larger screens.
The company announced the new plans as part of a larger update to Instagram for TV, signaling a growing interest in turning the platform into a destination for video viewing beyond smartphones. While Instagram has built much of its recent growth around Reels, the latest initiative suggests it is also looking at formats traditionally associated with streaming platforms and connected TV experiences.
Instagram says it is actively exploring longer-form creator content that would allow creators to tell deeper stories and build stronger connections with their audiences through extended videos. The company is also considering episodic series that unfold across multiple episodes, building on viewing behaviors it has already observed within its apps.
Live content is another area Instagram is targeting. The company says it is working on bringing live creator experiences to television screens, allowing viewers to watch and participate in broadcasts together from the living room rather than a mobile device.
The announcement comes as Instagram continues expanding its TV app footprint. Instagram for TV is now available on Samsung Smart TVs in the United States, joining existing support for Amazon Fire TV and Google TV devices. The rollout gives Instagram access to a much larger connected TV audience as it experiments with new viewing formats.
Instagram is also introducing features designed to make content discovery easier on televisions. A new Channels experience organizes videos around topics such as sports, comedy, travel, and favorite creators, while support for Stories brings another familiar Instagram format to the TV screen.
The platform is also testing phone-to-TV casting, allowing users to send Reels and videos from their Saved tab directly to their television. In addition, Instagram is experimenting with a dedicated section for horizontal videos, a notable shift from the vertical-first format that has defined much of the app’s video strategy in recent years.
The company says it is working closely with creators as it develops these new TV-focused experiences. Instagram believes longer-form videos, episodic content, and live programming could complement the way people already use the platform while opening new opportunities for creators to reach audiences on larger screens.
Although many of these features remain in development, the direction is becoming clear. Instagram is no longer viewing television as simply a place to watch Reels. Instead, the company is exploring how creator-driven entertainment, serialized content, and live experiences could become part of the Instagram ecosystem
(via Meta)
